1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the curling irons used to correct a permanent wave or fuzzy hair, or to set hair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, for forming a permanent wave on the hair using curling irons, a moistening permanent liquid is used to wet the hair. The wet hair is rolled around the rod while the surface temperature of the rod of the curling iron is heated to a high temperature from 200.degree. C. to 260.degree. C. to form a permanent wave.
The above-described system has a shorter working time than that of a cold permanent using chemicals or an electric permanent using an electric device. The combination of the curling iron and moistening liquid provides a durable hair style. However, the hair is likely to be damaged using this method. That is, in this system, the hair is formed into a permanent wave while heating the surface temperature of the rod to a high level of 200.degree. C. to 260.degree. C., and therefore the hair becomes covered with blisters, is burned off, inflated or brittle. This problem can be solved by lowering the surface temperature of the rod to a level from 100.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. at which the hair is not damaged but in this range of temperatures it is not possible to form a permanent wave on the hair unless additional time is taken to set the hair. That is, hair comprises an outermost surface formed from an epidermis, while the inside is formed from a skin and the center is formed from the medulla. The portion to which a permanent wave is applied is the portion called the skin. However, an outer shell layer called the epidermis which has a poor in heat transfer is present on the surface of the skin. Therefore, when the surface temperature of the rod is lowered to 100.degree. C. to 150.degree. C., heat is not transmitted very well to the skin in a short period of time.
With the above-described arrangement, even if the surface temperature of the rod is lowered to 100.degree. C. to 150.degree. C., the far infrared rays of 5 to 10 .mu.m radiated from the far infrared ray radiation layer are directly absorbed by the hair skin to provide for efficient heating, and the straightening of a permanent wave and fuzzy hair, hair setting and the like may be achieved efficiently in a short period of time as in the prior art. To this end, the surface of the rod encasing therein a heating member of the present invention is principally formed of a material for radiation of far infrared rays which emits the wavelength of 5 to 10 .mu.m. This will prevent the hair from being damaged.